You Don't Have to Be a Free Solo Climber to Wear These Pants

On a recent episode of David Letterman’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, the bearded host rendered Kanye West speechless when he asked the Yeezy founder: “If velcro had been invented first, would there be zippers?” I see Letterman's question and raise him this: “If Gramicci climbing pants had been invented first, would there be other trousers?” I’m not so sure there would be. The G-Pant is the first pair of pants I've ever owned that are smart enough for the office, loose enough for the park and beach, and durable enough for commuting to work and traveling internationally.

Whenever I’m imploring my friends to purchase a pair (which has become my second job these days), the first feature I rave about is the elastic waistline. You don't need to fasten them with a button or a zip fly—instead, you tighten or loosen them by cinching a nylon band, a little like adjusting a backpack. Say you're freshly returned from a trip to Italy where you just had to order those extra bowls of pasta "for the table" (i.e. for yourself), your Gramiccis won't kick you out. They welcome you in, whether you’ve slimmed down for summer or become cuddly in the winter.

The formula was perfected in the early 1980s by a crew of climbers designing gear to help them summit Yosemite’s Half Dome. Because the G-Pant was originally constructed for the kind of moves you saw in Free Solo, they can more than handle the activity of your daily life, whether that's lunging towards a closing subway door or lifting your carry-on into the overhead bin. And while the deep pockets were originally added to make sure torches wouldn’t fall out at 7,000 feet, they also come in handy for safely stashing away passports, loose currency, keys, sunglasses and more.

The Gramicci G-Pant in a wide-leg, olive version.

It would have been easy for Gramicci to slap on its logo and add some garish climbing colors, but the understated, single-color garment-dyed finish makes the G-Pants an appropriate option for meetings, birthday dinners, gallery openings, and more. Like that friend who fits in wherever they go, the G-Pant doesn't look out of place (it helps that the elastic waist is invisible—unless your shirt is tucked in). I have three pairs at this point: a wide-leg navy pair, a straight leg in khaki, and a more tailored fit in black. I like to pair mine with a t-shirt and boots, but the slim-fit option is just as friendly to a button-down or an oversize hoodie. The company only makes men's pants right now, but a fully expanded women's line is scheduled to drop in September 2019—though I'd argue the men's version is totally unisex.

Before we run out of time, I haven’t even mentioned the price point. You won’t find a pair of Gramiccis for more than $90, and you can often find them on sale for $45 or so. They're a steal when you consider how much you'll wear them—which in my case, is every day.